Kim Jong-Un Meets Xi Jinping During ‘Unofficial Visit’ At Beijing’s Great Hall

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has paid a surprise visit to Beijing to meet up with the top Chinese Leadership including President Xi Jinping. There had been intense speculation about Kim’s visit to China for the past three days after trains heading to Beijing from the North East had been delayed. North Korean President’s have a penchant for traveling in trains when they make their rare foreign trips. Kim Jong Un is said to have arrived in Beijing on Monday night at Central Beijing station in a green coloured 21 carriage train similar to the train that his father Kim Jong Il had used to arrive in Beijing in his trip to China made in 2011. 34 year old Kim was accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, as well as by his senior advisers during his first international visit after taking over power in North Korea.

Three days after Kim had arrived in Beijing, China’s official news agency put out a statement about Kim’s visit to Beijing. “At the invitation of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese president, Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), paid an unofficial visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday,” Xinhua said.

During the visit, Kim held talks at President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two leaders are said to have held talks on the situation of the Korean Peninsula and the present global scenario in which there is mounting pressure on North Korea to denuclearize. On the Korean Peninsula issue, President Xi said that China sticks to the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula and solving problems through dialogue and consultation.

Kim said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is starting to get better, as the DPRK has taken the initiative to ease tensions and put forward proposals for peace talks. “It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearization on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il,” he said. Kim also told the Chinese leader that he was open to dialogue with the United States.

               A train believed to be carrying a senior North Korean delegation leaves the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, China March 27, 2018.

“The issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can be resolved, if south Korea and the United States respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace,” said Kim. There has been increasing pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. While the country has stuck a defiant pose in the past it has given indications that it is willing to hold talks and there are indications of a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leadership this year.

Kim’s visit to Beijing is been seen as the Korean leader’s attempt to consult with his country’s all weather ally before he formally meets with the South Korean and US Presidents later this year.

Courtesy : indianexpress